One Year of Gay Marriage in Massachusetts

Wednesday • May 18, 2005

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, thanks to an audacious and overreaching decision handed down by the Bay State’s Supreme Judicial Court. This was another case of judicial activism (in this case, of the worst sort) for the people of Massachusetts did not demand same-sex marriage–it was simply imposed upon them. Now, just one year later, Newsweek reports that 6,142 same-sex marriages have been performed in the state–something close to one out of every six marriages registered. As expected, the majority of these couples are lesbians, not gay men. In its “Periscope” column, the magazine reported 3,972 female same-sex marriages, but only 2,170 male unions. The strategy is also clear. Same-sex marriage activists hope that a large and growing number of legal same-sex unions will represent a social trend that will be difficult, if not impossible, to reverse.

The other strategy is to insist that same-sex marriage has really brought few changes to the socail fabric, and hardly endangers the republic. This is the line taken by gay coumnist Deb Price in the May 17 edition of USA Today. In “The Sky Didn’t Fall in Massachusetts,” Price claims that Massachusetts citizens now support gay marriage. She cites pollster Bob Meadow as saying, “People find out that when Adam and Steve marry next door, it doesn’t hurt them, but it does help Adam and Steve.” Well, they may claim a shift in publc opinion, but gay advocates are fighting to prevent an opportunity for Massachusetts voters to consider a constututional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. If they have the votes, what is their fear? In reality, these constitutional amendments have passed by large margins in every state where a vote has been allowed. This is a sad anniversary for Massachusetts–and for all of us.